OPINION:
The Trump administration just took a bold new step to ensure government transparency. On March 17, the administration directed every federal agency to disclose how much it spends on collective bargaining with government labor unions. This critical information has never been compiled, even though taxpayers have likely spent billions of dollars in recent years on a process that may not improve government or help federal workers. Basic good government demands taxpayers know how much they spend—the hallmark of efficient, effective, and accountable government.
Taxpayers will be shocked to learn about the reality of federal collective bargaining. While the full details of this spending aren’t yet public, there are still a few telling examples of the issues unions negotiate over. My organization has documented how Americans are paying to negotiate over demands that have nothing to do with serving the public. And far from benefiting federal workers, this money is going to lawyers and legal wrangling in the bargaining process—the definition of bureaucracy.
Case in point: Taxpayers are spending money negotiating with unions over a supposed right to wear spandex in federal offices. Unions are also negotiating with the federal government over the height of cubicle desk panels—how far they reach the floor. And negotiations even focus on things like carving out smoking zones on federal properties that are supposed to be smoke-free. While government unions can’t legally bargain over wages and benefits set by federal law, they’re left negotiating over these types of picayune demands, making the bargaining process incredibly costly.
Taxpayers are getting hit over and over. The public pays for the salaries of the federal negotiators and, in many cases, even for the union officials on the other side of the bargaining table. Taxpayers also pay for travel and other expenses. Negotiating often requires hiring costly outside experts, factfinders, mediators, and arbitrators. Even the pens and paper negotiators use are on the taxpayer’s dime. The bargaining process can take months, if not years, and taxpayers spend more money daily.
But the initial negotiations are just the tip of the iceberg. When unions renegotiate their contracts, taxpayers are on the hook all over again. When unions file grievance claims, taxpayers cover the cost of finding a resolution, even when union members get in trouble on the job. And taxpayers pay for “official time,” in which federal employees do union work—instead of their jobs—during business hours. Official time does not concern public service, but taxpayers cover it anyway. While the Trump administration has already taken action to peel back the curtain on official time, this latest step ensures even greater transparency.
The cost to Americans is bigger than anyone realizes. The Trump administration notes that negotiations with just two bargaining units cost $1.8 million at the Social Security Administration alone. That doesn’t include the cost of other negotiations and union handouts like official time. Nor does it account for the other 400-plus federal agencies, many of which are unionized. According to an estimate from the first Trump administration, official time cost $135 million in 2019 alone. The full cost of federal collective bargaining undoubtedly pushes that total much higher.
Taxpayers will soon find out exactly how much money they’re spending on government collective bargaining—not empowering federal workers but funding lawyers and negotiators and other expenses. Under the new Trump administration policy, agencies must disclose the full cost of collective bargaining by mid-April. President Trump deserves praise for this latest move to make government more efficient, effective, and accountable to taxpayers.
• F. Vincent Vernuccio is president of the Institute for the American Worker.
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